


everyday (it's a gettin' closer)

by green_tea31



Series: i'm hooked on a feeling [2]
Category: MacGyver (TV 2016), NCIS
Genre: Bromance to Romance, Gen, M/M, Multiple Crossovers, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Outsider, Pre-Slash, and only in later chapters, the macdalton is more or less implied
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-05
Updated: 2019-09-05
Packaged: 2020-10-10 13:43:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,637
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20528969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/green_tea31/pseuds/green_tea31
Summary: Their witness is young, early twenties maybe, from LA according to him. He looks like the stereotypical Californian, blue-eyed and blond, but there’s something in his eyes that betrays that first impression.Something Gibbs recognizes, because he’s seen it, looking into the mirror, years ago.(Five badass overprotective former-or-current-soldiers of more or less questionable reputation who wanted to keep Mac. The other side of the mirror.)





	everyday (it's a gettin' closer)

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to be a second chapter with the POVs of all the soldiers who more or less adopted Mac, but Gibbs wouldn't stop talking, so now it's become its own story.
> 
> As always self-betaed. All mistakes are my own.
> 
> Title from "Everyday" by Buddy Holly.

It’s the third robbery in five days. Normally, they wouldn’t have been called in for this one, but one of the detectives initially assigned to the case recognized the tattoo on one of the suspects, identifying him as former Navy. Three robberies and two dead bodies later, Gibbs and his team aren’t really closer to catching them, but this time, they have three witnesses, and a gunshot victim who survived his ordeal thanks to one of them. The victim is a Petty Officer as well, which isn’t really that uncommon in DC, but it does make jurisdiction easier.

Their witness is young, early twenties maybe, from LA according to him. He looks like the stereotypical Californian, blue-eyed and blond, but there’s something in his eyes that betrays that first impression.

Something Gibbs recognizes, because he’s seen it, looking into the mirror, years ago.

“McGee, follow up with the owner. I’ll talk to Mr. MacGyver.”

…

“How long have you been back? Gibbs asks. MacGyver’s hands still and he looks up, blue eyes betraying his confusion.

“I’m sorry?”

“I recognize the look. You’re still adjusting to being back home. How long did you serve?” The kid, because that’s what he is, looks like a deer in headlights for a moment before visibly stealing himself.

“I…three years. Army. I was an EOD tech,” MacGyver says, frowning a little, like he isn’t really accustomed to people reading his service history in his face, which he probably isn’t, given that he looks like a college student who’s never even thought of enlisting.

“According to the other two witnesses of the shooting you’re responsible for keeping Petty Officer LeBlanc alive. Can you tell me what happened?” Gibbs asks and listens as MacGyver haltingly explains his understanding of the last two hours. He’s smart. That’s the first thing Gibbs notices, and he would have to be if he’s been an EOD tech. He’s also been trained in giving a report by someone aside from the U.S Army. There are subtle differences in the way he tells his version of the events that only someone with Gibbs training and experience would really understand.

He makes a mental note to call MacGyver’s boss as soon as possible, because if he remembers correctly there’s more than one covert outfit working out of LA and Gibbs would like to prevent any accusations of crossing jurisdictional lines or harassing operatives of another agency before they even come up.

He does know how to play nice, no matter what Tobias likes to tell him. And if he’s feeling just a little bit protective of a young, former soldier recently back home from Afghanistan – well, that’s nobody’s business but his own and maybe Ducky’s, who occasionally likes to accuse him of adopting strays.

Which he doesn’t. Abby doesn’t count. Neither does Tony, or Kate, McGee is Tony’s stray, and Ziva practically adopted herself anyway.

Maybe Ducky has a point.

“Dinozzo,” Gibbs shouts at his senior agent who strides over with a friendly grin that has put more than one traumatized witness at ease over the years.

“What’s up boss?” Tony asks, holding out his hand for their witness to shake. “I’m Special Agent Anthony Dinozzo, call me Tony. Heard you’re the wunderkind who saved LeBlanc. Good work.” Gibbs supresses a sigh. It’s not exactly professional behaviour to have a witness call you by your first name but he can see that Tony’s charm is already working, the kid relaxes visibly and shakes the proffered hand.

“Angus MacGyver. Most people call me Mac.”

“Agent Dinozzo will drive you to our field office where you can clean up and write down your statement. Dinozzo – make sure Ducky looks him over. I’m pretty sure not all of that blood is from Petty Officer LeBlanc,” Gibbs says.

“I’m not-,” MacGyver tries to protest, but Gibbs shoots him a glare.

“You saying I’m wrong?” The kid grimaces but concedes with a nod. He’s been holding his arm stiffly at his side for the entire conversation, and if Gibbs were a betting man, he’d say that whatever wound he acquired during the robbery must hurt pretty badly by now.

“Gotcha, boss. Come on kid, Ducky’s nice. I mean, he’s a medical examiner, but he does pretty well with the living, too,” Tony says, steering MacGyver towards his car with a hand on his back. The kid looks vaguely panicked for a moment, but Gibbs tells himself that he survived Afghanistan as an EOD tech, and those guys are normally used to a whole different level of crazy.

He’ll be fine.

… 

Gibbs spends nearly an hour in MTAC calling in various favours until finally someone connects him to Patricia Thornton, director of the DXS, a clandestine intelligence outfit operating out of Los Angeles under the cover of being a think tank. Given that MacGyver apparently spent a few years at MIT before enlisting, and is considered somewhat of a genius according to McGee, Gibbs supposes the cover fits well enough.

Director Thornton is a stern woman, somewhat of a legend herself in certain circles. Gibbs has never worked with her, but he’s definitely heard of her.

“Agent Gibbs. How is my agent doing?” She greets him a little more genially that he expected and there’s genuine concern in her voice. Gibbs breathes a little easier. It seems Angus MacGyver found himself with one of the better superiors in his line of work.

He’s not even a little bit surprised that she apparently already knows what’s going on. If she’s half as good as rumour suggests, she probably knew almost as soon as the NCIS was alerted to the robbery.

“He’s fine. Managed to injure his arm but not badly.” Thornton doesn’t visibly react at his words but something in her posture eases, like she’d been braced for something much worse.

What the hell are they doing out there in California?

“Agent MacGyver’s partner is on his way to take him back to their hotel. Jack Dalton,” she says. “Call me if you need anything else from my agent. And good luck.” Thornton cuts their connection with a distracted smile, leaving Gibbs to wonder just what kind of operative would leave their partner who is young, vulnerable, and recently returned from a war zone wandering the streets of DC on his own.

… 

“And what did you do?” Ziva asks the kid just as Gibbs enters Ducky’s realm. MacGyver is sitting on one of the autopsy tables, seemingly unconcerned with his surroundings, grinning at her. It makes him look even younger and something in Gibbs clenches uncomfortably at the thought of simply handing him over to someone else. Ducky shoots him a look, well-versed by now in reading Gibbs' moods.

He probably knows exactly what Gibbs is thinking right now.

“Dinozzo, David. Don’t you have reports to write?” Gibbs asks perhaps a little more forcefully than required, raising an eyebrow. He knows that Tony is just as much of a sucker for a helpless stray as he is, but Ziva stepping in front of the kid at Gibbs sudden entrance, almost unconsciously shielding him from a perceived threat, until realizing that it’s Gibbs, stepping aside with a sheepish smile is…

Slightly more unexpected.

Apparently MacGyver has that effect on people.

“MacGyver,” Gibbs begins, but he’s interrupted.

“Mac – please. I’m…no one really calls me MacGyver,” the kid says, shrugging.

Gibbs nods. “Mac then. Your partner is on his way.” He looks at Tony. “Should be here by now. Dinozzo – go get him,” Gibbs says. His senior agent nods and leaves with a knowing glint in his eyes, having perfectly understood what Gibbs wasn’t saying out loud.

Go and get him and be as annoying as possible. The full Dinozzo experience is an excellent litmus test when dealing with agents of other agencies. If they can survive five minutes in Tony’s presence when he’s deliberately trying to annoy them without shooting him, Gibbs will be inclined to work with them. If not…

Well, there’s a reason he keeps telling people that the second b in his name stands for bastard.

…

Dalton doesn’t shoot Dinozzo which is a point in his favour. Gibbs only barely resists glaring at the man when he saunters into the bullpen. Dalton quirks an eyebrow at him, clearly reading the hostility in his stance, and Gibbs is forced to raise his estimation of the man, because that’s the look of an operative who’s been at his job for longer than most. 

Gibbs makes a mental note to have McGee look into Dalton’s background. Nothing invasive, just enough for him to allay his suspicion that he knows this man, that this Jack Dalton is the same legendary undercover operative that Gibbs has been hearing rumours about. The world of clandestine espionage is surprisingly small for all that their resources are greater than ever, and Gibbs would like to know what kind of man he’s about to release his witness to, no matter that he’s only known the kid for the better part of a day.

He hands Mac over, albeit reluctantly, but notes the way Dalton steps between Mac and the rest of the office in an almost unconscious gesture, the way he walks at the kid’s back on their way to the elevator, one hand twitching slightly towards a gun Gibbs is pretty sure he’s had to leave at the security checkpoint.

Dalton’s clearly protective of the kid, and Gibbs breathes a little easier, knowing that Angus MacGyver has a protector out there in the world he’s found himself in. That there’s someone making sure he doesn’t lose himself in the world of espionage and clandestine operations.

Still – he’ll talk to McGee. No reason not to keep at least an eye on the kid. Never know when it might come in handy in the future. 


End file.
